ICSE Class 10 Syllabus 2027 Environmental Applications

ICSE YEAR 2027

INDIAN CERTIFICATE OF
SECONDARY EDUCATION
EXAMINATION

ENVIRONMENTAL
APPLICATIONS
(89)

February 2025
____________________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
All rights reserved. The copyright to this publication and any part thereof solely vests in the Council for the Indian
School Certificate Examinations. This publication and no part thereof may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or
stored in any manner whatsoever, without the prior written approval of the Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations.

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

CLASS X
There will be one paper of two hours duration Evolving solutions to treat wastes. The
carrying 100 marks and Internal Assessment of scope and limitation of end of the pipe
100 marks. treatment.
• Combating deforestation.
THEORY – 100 Marks
JFM, community forestry.
1. Caring for our Basic Resources (f) Alternatives to timber
(i) Caring for our Soil Design solutions-alternate materials, etc.
(a) Causes and consequences of soil erosion. Suggested Activities/ Visits:
Study improper land use, deforestation,
• Visit an industry to study waste
overgrazing, etc and also the impact of
generated and waste treatment.
soil erosion on food production,
generation of wastelands, silting of • Make models of Chula for reduced
waterways and dams. firewood consumption.
(b) Soil conservation strategies. • Model of solar cooker.
• Contour bunding. • Setting of compost pit.
• Tree breaks.
(ii) Caring for our Air
• Check dams. (a) Technical methods to control air
A study of solutions and their pollution.
applicability. Examples such as Electro static precipitators, cyclone
Auroville’s work and Tarun Bharat separators, wet scrubber, bag filters, fluid
Sangh’s work. bed boilers.
(c) Fuel wood crisis. (b) Strategies to reduce air pollution -
To develop an understanding in students • Economic
that a very large section of Indians still
use firewood as fuel, the impact it has on Penalties and subsidies, Bubble
nature in terms of a fast dwindling theory.
resource and the pressure put on • Technical
surviving forests. Impact on health of the Hybrid vehicles, alternate fuels,
poor, particularly women, from inhaling alternate energy vehicles.
the smoke.
• Traffic management.
(d) Waste generation - its toxicity and its Study of Curitiba in Brazil,
impact on life and land. synchronised signals, use of lanes,
The politics of waste dumping, the one-way roads, etc.
unmanageable wastes that we generate, (c) Legislation as a means to reduce air
leaching of toxins from landfills into pollution.
water bodies, agricultural lands, and
issues around incinerating waste. The role of law in controlling and
reducing pollution with examples like the
(e) Treatment of wastes: Taj Mahal trapezium, Delhi city, etc.
• Effluent treatment plants. (d) Remote sensing satellites and their
• Biological treatment. applications.
• Strategies to reuse waste.

ICSE Examination Year 2027 6

Why is it such a good tool? What can it be Suggested Activities / Visits
used for?
• Carry out rain water harvesting in the
(e) International norms on air pollution. neighbourhood.
What are the International norms on air • Visit a catchment area of the city.
pollution? How are they drawn?
Limitations with the implementing. • Visit to a nearby dam.

Example: Euro 1, Euro 2. 2. Resource use

Suggested Activities/ Visits: (i) Impact of globalisation on environment.

• Visit to a pollution control board. Understanding the basic intention of
globalisation; the possibility and challenge of
• Interaction with an NGO working in a global economy; impact of globalisation on
the field of environment. developing countries - increased disparities,
(iii) Caring for our Water national debt and recession; impact on human
resources and natural resources.
(a) Techniques of watershed management
(ii) Role of NGOs in sustaining environment.
Conserving water bodies; Study of
indigenous examples like the Eri system Study the work of a few NGOs.
of Tamil Nadu or Rajasthan’s traditional Choose an international, national and a local
systems and newly evolving modern NGO working in different areas - issue based,
techniques of water management; women’s collectives and child welfare
Ramsar convention. organisations.
(b) Rain water harvesting. (iii) Evolving a sustainable growth paradigm e.g.,
• Roof water harvesting through Gandhi. Large-scale development versus
percolation pits, etc. Village community based self-sufficient
growth.
• Water harvesting in rural areas
through check dams, bunds etc. What does sustainability mean?
The need for the above and the scope. GDP versus Growth paradox. (Questioning
the notion that increase in power will bring
(c) Small dams versus large dams. about economic growth and this in turn will
An analysis - can many small dams alleviate poverty.)
replace a large dam? Do large rivers How to integrate the principle of
require large dams only? sustainability in development?
Issues around large dams. Gandhi’s model of decentralised governance
Scope and limitation of small dams. like Panchayati Raj.
Other possibilities like Micro hydel, Mini A study of a few working examples like Khadi,
hydel, run off the river. Dastkar, Auroville, Gandhi gram.
(d) Water recycling.
(iv) North - South divide.
The scope of water recycling and importance. Patterns of resource use in the North and the
(e) Alternatives to existing sewage treatment like South and the impact they have on the
dry compost toilets. environment of both the regions.
Decentralised answers to centralised ones, Suggested Activities / Visits
Use of decomposed night soil as a fertiliser as • Visit to a Khadi production centre or
in China. other such units.

ICSE Examination Year 2027 7

3. Appropriate Eco-friendly Technologies • there is a clear connectedness to people
(i) Scope and limitation of indigenous and a capacity to interpret processes and
technology and modern technology. decisions in society and governance and
its impact on people.
Study an industry like fishing and/or weaving
- where both technologies are practised. This can be brought about by discussions in
class or facilitated through any other
(ii) Need for developing intermediate and empowering process.
appropriate technology.
To be studied through the analysis of the power INTERNAL ASSESSMENT – 100 Marks
sector - the limitation of all conventional
sources and the scope of alternate energy Students are recommended to complete two case
sources. studies and one project from the list given below.
(iii) Developing least cost options. Suggested list of Projects/ Case studies for topics from
Environment Impact Assessments (EIA), their the syllabus.
role including impacts while planning and the 1. Caring for our Basic Resources
method to develop least cost options. (i) Caring for our soil
Dynamics of implementation. Projects
Scope of grass root upward planning rather • How can a society produce less waste?
than trickle down planning.
• Examine the problem of plastic.
(iv) Natural resource accounting.
• Setting up a safe plastic disposal system
What is natural resource accounting? How to in a city.
go about it? - Basic understanding with the
aid of examples. • What are toxic wastes?
Suggested Activities / Visits • Should oceans act as waste dumps?
• Visit a modern power plant. Case Studies
• Visit a village with traditional • Tarun Bharat Sangh's work in Alwar.
occupation like weaving, pottery, etc. • Case study of Anna Hazare's work in
• Visit a Bio-gas plant. Ralegoan Siddhi.
4. Initiatives I can take • Auroville's afforestation effort.
(i) In my local environment. • Environmental effects of mining, brick
industry.
(ii) In my future career choice.
• Use of resources in a city. Compare with
(iii) In supporting initiative in my State or the resources used in a rural community.
Country.
• India’s growing population problem - a
By the end of Class X, the student must have a critical analysis.
working understanding of the broad impact
that his /her personal decisions can have on (ii) Caring for our Air
the environment and on society. The Projects
implications of such an understanding are • Monitor pollution in busy traffic places.
that:
• Role of vehicles in causing respiratory
• the student is responsible for choices health problems.
made.
• Is better public transport an answer to
• he/she is capable of mobilising responses reducing air pollution in cities?
to things that happen into meaningful and
productive action. Case Studies
• in whatever career context the student • Generating power through burning
may function in later life, there is scope garbage - is it a good way of dealing with
for applying environmental sensitivity. garbage?

ICSE Examination Year 2027 8

• Medical waste disposal through 3. Appropriate Eco-friendly Technologies
incineration - is there an option? Projects
• Can pollution be reduced by better city • Can Non-conventional sources meet the
planning [one way lanes, synchronized growing demand for power?
signals etc]. Case Studies
• Bhopal gas tragedy. • Dr. A.K.N. Reddy’s work in creating a
• Chernobyl tragedy. network of villages in Tumkur district based
(iii) Caring for our Water on appropriate technologies.
Project • MNES publications.
• Is water being wasted through the modern Guidelines for evaluating Project Work
sewage disposal system in cities?
The project has to be evaluated for the efficacy of the
Case Studies
following steps:
• Water shortage in Kerala and Chirapunji.
1. Coming up with a clear question or problem
• Rajasthan's water conservation systems. statement, which will be the basis of the student’s
• Salt water intrusion. project research. This is critical because without
• Ground water depletion. a clear question the research tends to be broad and
unfocussed, with the student tending to gather
• Contamination of surface water. whatever information is available rather what they
• Laws relating to rain water harvesting in need to have.
cities.
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
• The politics of water sharing like the include definition in terms of the focus and clarity
Cauvery issue. of the question.
• Narmada issue. 2. Formulating an action plan, which states the steps
• The Tehri dam issue. to be taken to move the question forward.
• The three gorges project in China. Criteria of evaluation for this stage will include
2. Resource Use how pragmatically the plan takes the question
Projects forward.
• Assess the impact of any movement related to 3. Gathering primary data
displacements or violations. 50% - 70% of information gathered needs to be
• Look at Governmental and Non- primary data i.e., data gathered by the student by
Governmental supports to promote local going into the field.
initiative in the area of sustainable growth. This may involve evolving a questionnaire for
Case Studies social issues and formats for ecology related
• Reports by NGOs on Globalisation projects. Sample size and type have to be adequate
impacts. and scrutinized carefully.
• Captive minds captive lives – Vandana Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
Shiva. be based on quantum of fieldwork and efficacy of
sampling.
• The unseen worker – National
Foundation of India. 4. Secondary data
• Excerpts from E.F. Schumacher’s work Secondary data from books, Internet and other
“small is Beautiful”. publications is used only as a basis to substantiate,
analyse and to construct an argument.
• Voluntary action and Gandhian approach
– D.K. Oza. Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore
include appropriate choice and use of secondary
• J.C. Kumarappa’s writing.
data.
• Gandhi’s writings.
5. Collating data and generating solutions

ICSE Examination Year 2027 9

This phase after the gathering of the data is one of Guidelines for evaluating Case Studies
stock taking i.e. putting together of information.
Case studies unlike projects are not based on primary
The data is then analysed and the solutions
generated. The initial project report is put data but entirely on secondary data mostly about a
together. particular event or case.
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore The student presents it as a report about 1500 words
include sifting and organisation of relevant data, long. It may be evaluated for:
complexity of analysis in terms of number and • Comprehensiveness;
relevance of parameter chosen and feasibility and
innovation of solutions generated. • Accuracy;
6. Project Report • Range of sources;
The research the student does is submitted as a • Inferences drawn;
project report comprising of the following: • Connections made;
i. Statement of the topic, issue or problem being
• Perspective gained, etc.
studied / researched.
Marks may be awarded on the following break up:
ii. Statement of the action plan.
iii. Presentation of data using different methods Project - 30
such as bar charts/ pie diagram etc. A clear Case studies - 20
distinction has to be made between primary Total - 50
and secondary data.
iv. Analysis of data.
EVALUATION
v. Solutions offered.
The assignments/project work is to be evaluated by the
vi. Personal learning for the student. subject teacher and by an External Examiner. The
vii. Bibliography and acknowledging resource External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the
persons. Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but
Criteria of evaluation for this stage will therefore not teaching the subject in the section/class.
include readability, precision, neatness and The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will
indexing. assess the assignments independently.
Therefore, the evaluation is on-line and does not Award of Marks (100 Marks)
base itself entirely on the project report.
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 50 marks
7. VIVA-VOCE (Optional) External Examiner 50 marks
A viva may be conducted with the subject teacher The total marks obtained out of 100 are to be sent to
and an External Examiner who could be another CISCE by the Head of the school.
teacher from the school itself or an experienced
person from the environmental field, preferably a The Head of the school will be responsible for the
researcher. online entry of marks on CISCE’s CAREERS portal
by the due date.
The purpose of the viva is to give the student an
opportunity to converse with an expert in the field
regarding his / her project. This would help to
deepen the learning for the students and help them
understand the lacunae in their thinking and
process.

ICSE Examination Year 2027 10

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES
Criteria Preparation Investigation/Gathering Data Analysis/Inference Solutions Alternatives/ Presentation
Innovations
Grade I Follows instructions with Is able to ask correct questions. Analyses systematically. Can Innovative ideas Accurate. Feasible, neat,
(4 marks) understanding; modifies if Knows whom to ask, when and how. see sequences or correlation. presented. Alternatives well labelled diagrams.
needed. Background Can deal with more than one variable. Can segregate fact from opinion. suggested. Index and references
information correct. Level given.
of awareness high.
Grade II Follows instructions step- Is able to ask questions and identify Makes observations correctly. Alternatives presented. Accurate. Neat, well
(3 marks) by-step. Awareness is whom to ask, when and how. Can Analysis fair. Innovative but not labelled diagrams. Index
good. Background handle two variables only. practical. and references given.
information correct.

Grade III Follows simple instructions Needs help with the investigations. Observation - help needed. Obvious solutions A bit disorganised, but
(2 marks) only. Awareness basic. Has suggestions but cannot decide. Needs guidance to see presented. Not neat and accurate. Either
Background information correlations or sequence. innovative. index or references
sketchy. missing.

Grade IV Follows some instructions Needs to be told what questions to be Detailed instructions required to Thinks of solutions under Poorly organised. Some
(1 mark) but confused. Has to be asked, whom to ask or where to gather draw inferences. Charts have to guidance. points missing. Index and
made aware. Background the data from. be made. references missing.
information incorrect in
places.

Grade V Confused about Gets stuck at every step. Even with help, analysis is not Solutions not Overall impression very
(0 mark) instructions. Has to be Questionnaire has to be formulated. clear. Takes teacher’s word for forthcoming. poor. Not very accurate.
made aware. Needs help it.
with background
information.

ICSE Examination Year 2027
11